Stitch by Stitch
by theINTERSECT
Summary: Chuck helps Sarah fix her heart, stitch by stitch. POST-FINALE FIC. ROMANCE.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys. So here is another story to satisfy my Chuck void (: Its a songfic...though its only half of it, because I haven't finished the other half. I just wanted to post the first half for you guys to read first, since I haven't updated in a while (BAD ME). (:**

**I've working on the next chapter of 'Chuck vs the Dads', but I still haven't gotten it done yet.**

**But I have ONE MORE WEEK before my summer holidays (: I'm SUPER excited - hopefully I can get more writing done then once the stress of school is gone :P**

**But until then, enjoy! (:**

**Any mistakes are mine.**

* * *

**STITCH BY STITCH  
**

**Blue and black, heart torn out,**

**You uncover what's beneath my skin**

**There and back, there's no doubt, your touch is my medicine**

A light winter breeze blew through the courtyard, creating a slight chill in the air. Chuck trudged slowly back to his apartment, his whole body stiff partly from the shock the day's events, and partly from the coldness the air bore.

As he reached out for the doorknob of the front door, he caught a glimpse of his wedding band glimmering in the moonlight. He felt a pang of sadness emanate through his heart. It served as a reminder of what he once had; a reminder of the good times.

Suddenly, he heard the voice of an angel. His angel. He turned around and saw her standing by the entrance of the courtyard. _Sarah_. Was she real? Or was she just a product of his malfunctioning mind, unable to comprehend the fact that his wife no longer remembered him?

'Hi.' She said in a small voice, giving him a small, shy wave.

'Hi.' He breathed, unable to take his eyes off her. _It was really her._

She took a step towards him, and made eye contact with him. 'I just wanted to tell you that I believe you. I believe everything that you told me about us.'

Staring into those baby blue orbs, he felt beginnings of a small smile begin to form on his face. Maybe they had a chance. Maybe all wasn't lost after all.

But as she continued, he realized he was simply getting his own hopes up. 'But, the truth is Chuck, that, I don't feel it. Everything that you told me about us, and our story, I just...I don't feel it. '

He didn't know how to react, but he had to say something. So, he said what first came to his lips. 'Right. Right. Of course. I – uh – I don't know what I was expecting.'

But the more he began to process what she'd just said, the more baffled he became. 'So what are you doing here, then?'

'Well...' She broke eye contact with him and stared at a spot on the floor for a while before continuing. 'I wanted to say sorry for everything that happened today. But most of all, I want to say goodbye.'

That one word hit Chuck like a bullet to the chest. _Goodbye._ It seemed so indefinite, yet so permanent at the same time. Was it goodbye for a couple of days? A couple of months? Or forever? Would he ever see her again?

'Where are you going?' He questioned, a quiver in his voice.

She looked up at him one more as she answered, 'Quinn took away my life. And I have to...well I have to go find him.'

Chuck was paralysed for words. The love of his life was leaving, and he didn't know how to respond.

Sarah, seeing that Chuck was frozen, took another step towards him, and placed a hand on his forearm. As she looked into his eyes, she offered a final word. 'Goodbye.' She gave him a small smile.

He revelled in her touch, and just barely managed to whisper a response. 'Goodbye.'

As he watched Sarah turn and walk away for perhaps the last time, he struggled to keep his tears from flowing freely down his cheeks.

They marred his vision as he restrained himself from sprinting after her and holding her close in a tight hug. It tore his heart to let her go. She was right there, in his reach, just a mere step away.

But as much as it hurt him, he needed to do what was best for her. And that was to give her space. As much space as she needed, and hope that one-day she would find her path back to him.

* * *

**And I'll give you all my pieces broken**

**In your hands, there's nothing that you can't fix**

**My heart is frayed, my scars are open**

**So put me back together now, stitch by stitch**

**Put me back together now, stitch by stitch.**

Five weeks later, she turned up on his doorstep, battered and worn out. Hair dishevelled, face makeup-less: telltale signs of fatigue and stress. She wore a simple shirt and a pair of jeans, and had her luggage in tow.

In the past five weeks, she had searched high and low for her place in the world. She tried submerging herself back into the life of a spy, going on missions day after day. She tried going back to live with her mother. She tried a bunch of other different professions, but nothing satisfied her.

There was a gaping hole in her heart that needed to be fixed – with it present, she could never be satisfied with anything. And so, her search ultimately led her back to where she'd first started – Chuck.

Now she was there, but she couldn't bring herself to knock on the door. Dropping her duffle bag on the patch of grass next to the porch, she began pacing back and forth. The sun had just rose, and its morning rays shone on the fresh morning dew, making it glisten.

She sat herself down on the first step of the porch, focusing in on the sound of the birds chirping in the distance, not really thinking about anything in particular. She took in the serenity of the environment, the peacefulness, and just the utter beauty of it.

_If only life could always be like this_. She thought to herself.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of a small animal whimpering through the chirps of the birds. She looked to her right, and saw a small puppy limping towards her. It was a golden retriever, no more than 5 months old. Its hair was matted with dirt, and there was a half dried up patch of blood on its right foreleg.

When the puppy reached her, it sat down next to her let out a small whine. Hesitantly, she placed a hand on the puppy's head and began stroking it gently.

* * *

Chuck was awakened by the sound of a small animal whimpering outside the apartment. As he rose from his bed he stretched his hands out and patted the empty spot next to him.

_160 days since I've last seen her._ He thought to himself.

He lingered on the bed for a while longer, before getting out of bed to track down the source of the whimpering.

The sound led him to the front door of the apartment. Upon opening the door, he found a blonde woman sitting on the porch, stroking a small puppy.

_It looks like..._ He let out a gasp as he recognized the small duffel bag sitting next to the porch.

Sensing a presence behind her, Sarah slowly turned around and saw Chuck. He was wearing a pair of long pajama pants, and a moderately tight white shirt – under which you could somewhat make out the outlines of a lean muscular torso – and his hair was still tousled from sleep.

They both froze for a split second, not knowing what to do.

'Umm...Hi.' Sarah said hesitantly.

'Hi.' Chuck replied.

There was another pregnant pause. Chuck was just about to offer his hand out to Sarah to help her up off the step when she stood up herself, and gathered the little puppy in her arms.

Chuck, embarrassed, stuffed his hands in his pockets and gave her a tight smile.

'You know – ' They both started at the same time. They both then paused, and waited for the other to continue.

It was as if the puppy could sense the awkwardness of the situation, because it was just then that he decided to let out a little whine.

Sarah shifted him into her left arm and used her right arm to stroke his head.

'Umm..so where did you find him?' Chuck asked.

'I found him limping towards your apartment.' She looked down at the puppy's wounded leg. 'I think he's hurt.'

'Why don't we...shall we...' Chuck struggled with his words. He still couldn't believe she had come back. 'You want to come in?' He finally managed to get out.

She nodded, then held out the puppy to Chuck. Chuck took the puppy in his arms, but in the process brushed against Sarah's arm with his arm. He felt a sort of tingle go up his spine – it gave him a renewed sense of hope.

'Come in.' He invited.

Sarah picked up her duffel bag off the grass and walked into the house. When she was inside, Chuck eased the door shut with his foot, then carried the puppy off to the bathroom. 'Let's get him cleaned up.' He said.

She was left standing in the doorway of the apartment, with her duffel bag on one shoulder. She clasped her hands together in front of her, because she didn't know what else to do with them.

_What am I supposed to do?_ She thought to herself. She felt a tug in her heart, as if this place was some place important. And it was, supposedly. It's just that she didn't remember.

She decided to do what felt right. She set her bag down next to the door, slowly walked over to the living room area and sat herself down on the edge of the couch.

* * *

10 minutes later, Chuck came out of the bathroom with the puppy wrapped in a towel. He set him down on the rug, before sitting down on the other side of the couch, careful not to get too close to her in case she was uncomfortable with the intimacy.

The puppy unwrapped himself from the towel, shaking the excess water drops off his coat. The wound turned out to be a minor cut – it would heal with ease in a couple of days. Chuck let out a small laugh, before turning to Sarah.

'What brings you here?' He asked curiously.

She stared down at her hands on her lap, wanting to say what she was feeling but not knowing how to. She felt a stray tear roll down her cheek, landing on her hand.

He watched her, his face etched with concern and worry. He inched closer and reached out to place his right hand on top of her right hand. He gave her a reassuring squeeze.

'Talk to me Sarah.' He paused. 'What's wrong?'

Sensing sadness, the puppy waddled over and gave Sarah's leg a few licks before sitting himself down at Sarah's feet.

She placed her left hand over his hand,

'I feel like – ' She hesitated. 'Like I'm broken.' She placed her left hand over his right hand and began fumbling with his fingers out of subconscious nature. 'I don't feel satisfied anywhere...like there is as gaping hole waiting to be filled...and I was hoping - '

She felt another couple of tears make its way down her cheek. ' – hoping you could fix me.' She finished.

Words needn't be said as he closed the gap between them, wrapping her in an embrace and rubbing soothing circles on her back just the way she liked it.

'Of course Sarah.' He whispered into her ear. 'Of course.'

The first stitch was in place. It was the first step towards recovery.

* * *

**A/N: Sooo...how was it? Did u like it? Drop me a review...I love reading what you guys think of my stuff :P**

**The song is called 'Stitch by Stitch', by Javiar Colon.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys, here is the next chapter! Hope this wasn't too long of a wait (:**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**THREE WEEKS EARLIER.**

'_Chuck, wait. Where are you going?' She chased after him, calling his name desperately, demanding he stop and explain to her what was happening._

_'Chuck!'_

_After about another half a minute of running through grey and barren hallways that twisted and turned relentlessly, he pushed through a set of doors that led to the outside world._

_As she followed him outside, the sun's blazing glare shocked her eyes with brightness, causing them to water. She could barely make out where they were._

_He stood there, half bent over, trying to catch his breath. As her eyes slowly adjusted, she saw that we were standing in a car-park behind a massive, formidable looking building. He surveyed the road, as if he were expecting something or someone. When he saw that there was no one, he turned to her and looked straight into her eyes. His voice was very choppy - it was as if he was trying to hold back his tears. 'Sarah...I have to leave.'_

_What? She thought to herself. I can't let him leave. If he leaves, what will I do? What will happen to me? 'If you run, there'll be a burn notice on you...you'll be running forever.'_

_He opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. Just when he'd pulled himself together to say something, the sound of tires screeching through the car-park stopped him from doing so. A large van pulled to a stop right next to Chuck, and a hand reached out. It was Chuck's dad. 'We have to go. Right now.'_

_Chuck looked at his dad, then at Sarah. _

_She had to stop him. 'You can't do this. If you run, there's a bull's eye on your back. They will never ever stop looking for you.' She could feel tears welling up in her eyes._

_His dad countered her argument. 'If you stay, everyone you love will be in danger. You have to choose. Who do you want to protect. You or her?'_

'_Dad, please don't make me – ' Chuck was cut off, but this time by the sound of the alarms going off, alerting people of their escape. _

'_Right now, Charles. You have to run to protect her.'_

'_Protect me?' Sarah thought to herself.' I can protect myself.' She was about to say so aloud, but Chuck beat her to it._

'_I'm sorry Sarah, but if I have to choose, I'll always choose to protect you.'_

_With that, he grabbed her cheeks and slammed his lips urgently onto hers. He poured all his love into the kiss, trying to convey to Sarah how much he loved her, and how sorry he was for having to leave her. _

Sarah woke up in her hotel room, startled and drenched with sweat. She tries to console herself by telling her mind that it's just a dream, a product of her somewhat malfunctioning mind, but her heart says otherwise. Deep down, she knows that the event she has just dreamed of has happened before, and that everything in it is real.

She wills herself to go back to sleep, to force all the emotions away, and to put up the façade she'd so intricately built up the most part of her life. But the more she does so, the more she can't ignore the emotions she'd felt through the dream. She couldn't ignore the emotions she'd felt for him when he said he was leaving. How lost she felt. How desperate she felt. She couldn't ignore the weird spark she'd felt when he kissed her. But most of all, she couldn't ignore the warmth she'd felt when he said that he'd always protect her.

And that's when she knew that she had to go back. He was the only one that could fix her.

* * *

**What you say, without words, resuscitates what was numb inside**

**So repair me, every thread of me, 'cause you're bringing me back to life**

**PRESENT TIME.**

**CASA BARTOWSKI, ****BURBANK.**

Sarah was awakened by the smell of freshly made pancakes wafting through the apartment. As she pulled herself up into a sitting position, she could see beams of sunlight shining through the slits of the curtains, illuminating the room to an optimum brightness.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the door of her room slowly inching open. Adverting her glance to the door, she saw that there was no one there. But as she lowered her glance, she saw the puppy sitting by her bed looking at her with crestfallen eyes.

Sarah reached out her arms and scooped the puppy up in her arms, and placed it on the bed next to her. As she began to stroke its head, it buried its head in the sheets and relaxed.

Chuck, upon finding out that Sarah had no form of accommodation in the city, insisted she stay. He set up the guest room for her, and told her she could stay for as long as she liked. Secretly, he wished for it to be forever, but of course, he didn't say it out loud.

After a few weeks of staying with Chuck, she found that she actually quite enjoyed his company. Her memories were now starting to return on a sporadic basis, usually triggered by a specific object or place. They were mostly small memories, but all the more significant.

Sarah spent a few more minutes in bed stroking the puppy's head before getting out of bed to tackle the day. She washed up and got dressed, and walked out into the kitchen area, with the puppy following her. She saw Chuck standing in front of the stove in his pajamas, making a batch of pancakes. The coffee machine was slowly churning away in the corner, producing drip after drip of oh-so-heavenly goodness.

As he placed the pancakes on a serving dish and garnished it with a dollop of fresh berries, the puppy ran to Chuck and started jumping up and down fervently by his leg, wagging its tail wildly.

He smiled as he grabbed a piece of bread off the toaster, ripped off a small piece and gave it to the hyperactive puppy.

Sarah stood hesitantly in the doorway of the kitchen, unsure of whether to enter or not.

Chuck turned around and saw her standing there 'Morning.'

'Morning.' She replied.

'I made breakfast.' He offered, giving her a bright smile, whilst placing a couple of pots in the sink for washing.

She responded with a light-hearted smile, but stayed glued to her spot in the doorway.

The puppy started scratching at Chuck's leg, begging for more bread. He squatted down and fed it another piece of bread, then gently stroked its head. 'You know, we should really think of a name for this little guy. We can't keep on calling him puppy for the rest of its life.

'Well...' She started. He turned to look at her, urging her to continue. 'I've always liked the name Wilber for a dog. Or Rex.'

'I like Wilber.' He turned his attention back to the puppy. 'How would you like to be called Wilber?' The puppy barked in approval, wagging its tail excitedly. Chuck fed him another piece of bread, before turning back to Sarah.

'Come on.' He motioned, grabbing the plate of pancakes, some cutlery and two small plates. He led her to the dining table, and set the stuff down. 'Sit.'

She complied and sat down. He went back to the kitchen to retrieve two cups of freshly brewed coffee.

'Thanks.' She said softly, staring at the pancakes before her.

* * *

_She was standing at a stove cooking up some omelettes, with a golden retriever by her legs. Sunlight streamed freely through the large windows of the kitchen, reflecting off the glisteningly clean surfaces of the counters. Suddenly, she heard the pitter patter of a set of feet moving down the stairs and into the kitchen._

_She turned around, holding the pan in one hand and a spatula in another. She found Chuck standing in the middle of the kitchen, with a confused look on his face. 'Hi. Did you sleep well?' She asked. _

'_Like a log, honey. How did you sleep?' He said in an obnoxiously loud voice. He then lowered his voice and whispered, 'Did Casey find any more bugs?'_

_She returned the pan to the stove. 'I'm cooking breakfast. Casey swept the house. It's clean.'_

_That didn't seem to explain it, because he still had a confused look on his face. 'Okay.' He then motioned to the stove. 'What? Are we going to invite the neighbours over?' He questioned._

_She smiled. 'No Chuck. Umm..I'm cooking for you.' When she turned around, she found him staring at her dreamily, with a large smile on his face. 'What?' She quipped. _

'_It's just funny. I never pictured you doing this.' _

_She grabbed a bunch of carrots, placed it on the chopping board, and began chopping them delicately. 'Well. What can I say. I'm versatile.' _

_She gathered the chopped up vegetables, threw them in the pan, mixed for a little while longer, before bring the pan over to the plate that had been placed on the island counter. _

'_Sit.' She motioned to the chair next to the plate. As he sat down, she slid the freshly made omelette onto the plate._

'_Hold on.' He said, whilst laughing at the same time. 'Are you enjoying this whole Martha Stewart thing?' _

_She gave him a light smile, grabbed a couple of left over vegetables and fed it to the golden retriever, before putting a couple of pieces in her mouth herself._

'_I can't believe it! Please tell me you're not going soft on me.'_

_She wiped her hands on a towel. 'Shut up and eat your breakfast.' She gave him another large smile. _

'_You better be careful, Sarah. One day, you might actually turn into a real girl.'_

* * *

'Sarah? Earth to Sarah...' Chuck waved a hand in front of Sarah's eyes.

She snapped out of her daydream. 'Yeah.'

'You haven't eaten anything.' He said, motioning to her plate.

'Yeah. I was just thinking.'

She picked up her fork and took a couple of bites. 'Did we ever live in the suburbs?' She questioned.

'No.' Chuck replied. 'But there was this one time we had to stay in a house in this suburban area for a mission.' He smiled at the thought of the memory. 'You were cooking breakfast for me...and it was like you were – ' He stopped to contemplate his words. 'You know what? Never mind.'

'Like I was turning into a real girl?'

'Yeah.' After he'd processed what she'd just said, he gaped at her. 'How did you know?'

'Well...I was just thinking just now...and I don't know how it came to my mind...but in my head, there was just this scene playing with you and me, in a large house in the suburbs – '

Sarah didn't get a chance to finish talking as Chuck pulled her up from the chair and pulled her in for a tight hug. Sarah froze. They'd seldomly engaged in any form of physical contact since her return, so it came as a shock to her.

Chuck felt Sarah tensing in his arms, and immediately let go. 'Sorry. My bad.' He dropped his arms

'It's okay.' She said. As she sat back down to finish her breakfast, she could help but think how nice his arms felt around her.

* * *

**I'll be okay, 'cause you heal me...**

**ONE WEEK LATER.**

**WASHINGTON DC.**

**HOTEL.**

Beckman finally managed to reinstate the accounts Decker had frozen so the money could be returned to Chuck and Sarah. This required a trip to Langley, so about a week later, they found themselves in a hotel room in Washington DC. The room boasted two queen-sized beds – it was one of the only rooms that were available upon such short notice.

Sarah lay in bed, finding it hard to be overcome with slumber. She was cold, but she didn't want to get up to turn the AC down for fear of waking Chuck up. She tossed and turned relentlessly trying to find warmth and comfort, and finally settled with her body facing Chuck's bed. Staring at the silhouette his sleeping form, she felt a sort of calmness come over her. And so she lay there, staring at him, thinking about how much she longed to be in those arms.

Chuck found it hard to sleep as well. He stared lay in bed with the covers pulled up to his chin and stared at the ceiling, trying to count the number of faults the construction people had left on the ceiling in the dark.

After counting for about the 10th time, he turned to his left to see how Sarah was doing. Through the darkness, he could make out the shape of her body. She was curled up tightly in a ball, indicating that she was cold.

Quietly and as discreetly as possible, he pulled off his sheets, flicked the bedside lamp on and fiddled with the AC controls above the bedside table. He turned the thermostat up, hoping it would warm her up. As he slipped himself back under the blankets and prepared to turn the lights off, he turned to look at her one last time. And he saw a pair of eyes staring right back at him.

'Sarah! You're cold. Why didn't you turn the thermostat down?'

He got up once more and walked over to the edge of her bed. He placed a hand on her exposed shoulders and found that they were freezing.

He strode over to the desk chair and grabbed a hoodie he'd hung on the back of it.

Sitting himself down on the edge of her bed, he handed the hoodie to her. 'Here. Put this on.'

She took it gratefully and slipped it on. It was slightly big for her slender frame, but it was very warm.

She propped herself up against the backboard of the bed, and brought her knees to her chin.

'You know everything, don't you?' She said softly.

He gave her a smile, and placed his hand on top of hers. His touch sent sparks flying up her arms – then there was this tingly feeling in her chest she couldn't decipher. They sat in a comfortable silence.

After a couple of minutes, Chuck decided to break the silence. 'You know, it's getting late.' He motioned to the clock. 'We both should get some sleep.'

Sarah nodded. 'Okay.'

He took his hand off her hand, and started tucking her into bed. Just as he'd finished and was about to walk over to his bed, she grabbed his hand. She didn't know why she'd just done that – perhaps it was out of instinct.

'Sarah?'

He sat down on the bed once more and looked at her with question in his eyes.

'I...I – ' She started.

Without saying another word, he gently moved her over to make space for himself on the bed, then slid under the covers, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He covered her feet with his own, to warm them up.

She rested her head on his chest, and listened to the erratic beating of his heart. It felt comforting – she knew that this was where she wanted to be.

'Thanks.' She whispered quietly into his chest.

* * *

**A/N: Soo how was it? Please leave me a review :P It really makes my day (:**

**I plan to conclude this story with one more chapter. Stay tuned :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys (: Surprise, eh? I've finished the next chapter of this story :P I kept on writing and writing...and it kinda got too long. So, I've decided to split it into two chapters, so there'll be one more chapter after this one :P Unless that one gets too long and I have to split it again...you never know (: ****Funny how a one shot can turn into a multi-chapter story. Anyways. Enough rambling. **

**Thanks for all the reviews and the positive response (: I really appreciate it :P**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Chuck.**

* * *

**And I'll give you all my pieces broken**

**In your hands, there's nothing that you can't fix**

**My heart is frayed, my scars are open**

**So put me back together now stitch, by stitch**

**I'm still afraid of falling, somehow it's takin' over me**

**Don't ever let me let it go...**

It was close to midnight, and Chuck and Sarah were on the plane back to California. Because it was a red-eye flight, the cabin was completely silent – the only sound that could be heard was the continual roaring of the engine and the occasional shifting of a passenger.

Sarah slowly dozed off with her head bobbing back and forth for a while before coming to a rest on Chuck's shoulder. Chuck, focused on finalizing the contracts for the transferral of their money into their private accounts, felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. He looked over, and saw Sarah resting her head on it. He smiled. _She looks so peaceful when she's sleeping. _

Saving the document, he closed the lid of his laptop. Trying his hardest not to disturb Sarah, he gently rested her head on the back of her seat whilst he returned his laptop to his bag. After doing so, he lifted the armrest between them so Sarah could snuggle in closer.

Sarah, feeling Chuck move her head off his shoulder, thought he didn't like her leaning on him and was pushing her away. She felt conflicted and confused as to why he was sending mixed signals. She shifted her body into a more comfortable position for sleeping upright and opened her eyes slightly. She saw him take his hoodie off, but she didn't understand why as the cabin was freezing. She also saw that the armrest between them was up, but she paid no attention to it. Closing her eyes, she leaned back into the seat and waited for sleep to come.

Suddenly, she felt him move her head forward as he slipped an arm around her shoulders, then pull her towards him. Opening her eyes once more, she looked at him with question in her eyes.

'Sorry, did I wake you?' He asked. 'I was just trying to get the armrest out of the way.'

She smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder again, this time snuggling right up right beside his body. _So it wasn't what I thought he was doing._

He draped his hoodie over her, then wrapped his other arm around her as well. She felt a sense of warmth wash over her. 'Goodnight.' He whispered.

'Night.'

* * *

**ONE DAY LATER**

Chuck and Sarah took a 10-minute walk to the vet's place to pick Wilber up. They'd left Wilber there for some check ups in the time they were in Washington.

As soon as they entered the clinic, they found Wilber sitting by the door of his pen, waiting for them. When he saw them, he started barking excitedly, waiting to be released from the pen.

Upon hearing the barking and the sound of the front door opening, the vet came out to greet them.

'Hi.' The vet walked over and opened the door of the pen. Wilber immediately bounded out and ran towards Chuck and Sarah. 'I see he's excited to see his mommy and daddy.' The vet chuckled.

Chuck froze and sucked in a breath at the vet's comment. He didn't know how Sarah was going to react. Personally, he didn't mind being called 'daddy' - in fact he rather enjoyed it. But he didn't know if Sarah was ready, because knowing her, if she wasn't mentally prepared for something, she would freak out.

Sarah, however, calmly scooped Wilber up in her arms and listened intently as the vet updated her about Wilber's condition. Wilber was now a fully healthy puppy, and had no problems whatsoever.

Watching Sarah interact with Wilber and vet, he let out a breath and smiled. She was really making progress, and he was delighted about that.

He took a step forward and began to listen in on their conversation.

Sarah, sensing Chuck's presence beside her once more, handed Wilber to him. As she plopped the puppy in his arms, Wilber gave his face a large, sloppy lick.

'Hi Wilber.' Chuck said through laughs. 'My, you've grown.'

After a couple more housekeeping things, they decided that it was time to leave, before it got dark. They put Wilber on a leash and began the walk home. Chuck held the leash, and Sarah walked on his left.

They walked in a comfortable silence, watching the curious little puppy explore the environment. At about half way, Sarah mused up the courage and moved closer to Chuck, slipping her hand into his and lacing their fingers together.

Upon contact, he looked at her and gave her a comforting smile. She smiled back and leaned in even closer to him. He glanced down at their intertwined hands, and tightened his grip around Sarah's.

To any stranger, the smiles on both their faces were telltale signs that they were both madly in love with each other. To Chuck, it was indeed one of immense love and joy that his Sarah was slowly returning to him. But to Sarah, it was her way of showing Chuck that she was happy, and that she wasn't going anywhere. The concept of love was still a little unfamiliar to her, but she was growing into it. A piece of her was complete.

* * *

That night, Sarah paced back and forth outside Chuck's room, conflicted about what she should do. She wanted to go in and to be with Chuck, but she didn't know how she was to approach him.

_Saying 'hi' and just walking in offers no explanation,_ she thought to herself. _But 'hi, I really need you' sounds too needy and it's just not something I would say._

In the end, she settled with simply knocking and asking whether she could come in.

She stopped her pacing and took a step towards the door. Slowly, she raised her hand and knocked lightly on the door. 'Hi.' She pushed the door open and stepped inside. 'Can I come in?'

She saw him sitting on his bed with his back resting on the backboard. The bed was littered with a multitude of papers, and Wilber had fallen asleep next to the papers. However, upon hearing her come in, he perked up and bounded towards her. 'Hi Wilber.' She said softly, picking him up off the floor and gathering him in her arms. Wilber loved being carried.

Chuck tore his attention away from the piece of paper he was holding, and looked over. 'Yes. Of course.' He gathered up the papers to make space for her to sit. 'Come, sit.' He patted the spot next to him. 'Sorry it's a little messy.'

He placed the stack of papers on top of the box sitting by him. She climbed up on the bed and sat down cross-legged next to him. She placed Wilber in her lap, and gently stroked his fur with one hand.

She looked over at the small sheet of paper he was holding. It was a drawing of a man and woman with a baby, in front of a red house with a white picket fence.

_Red house. White picket fence_. She thought to herself. _My dream house._ Eying the stack of papers on top of the box, she saw that the top one was titled 'Boy names'. Picking it up with her free hand, she studied the list closely. These were all names she'd liked as a little girl.

Putting one and one together, it all began to make sense. This was their dream. Their dream for their future before she'd lost her memories. She could sense Chuck's gaze on her.

'This was our dream, right?' She said in a soft voice. 'The red house, the white picket fence, and the names...' She voice slowly drifted off as she turned to look at Chuck.

He nodded solemnly.

They both turned and stared at the drawing for a while. Then, spotting a black sharpie on the bedside table, she tried to move as little as possible, not wanting to disturb Wilber – whom had fallen asleep again - and leaned over and picked the sharpie up.

She placed the sharpie the between her teeth and pulled to uncap it. Taking the drawing from Chuck's hands, she placed it on the edge of her knee and began drawing.

She added in a little puppy next to the woman. She then looked over at Chuck, who was staring at the drawing silently._ Did he not like my addition?_ She thought to herself.

She turned back to the drawing. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a smile creep up on Chuck's face.

He took the sharpie from her hand and took the drawing and placed it on his lap.

'We have this little person as well.' He said as he drew a little figurine next to the man, then turned to Sarah. She smiled as she took the sharpie from his hand and continued her additions to the drawing. She added two more figurines, one next to the first one Chuck drew, the other between the woman and the puppy.

'Woah. 4?' Chuck said, whilst chuckling.

'Well...' She started softly, as she capped the sharpie and placed it on the bed. 'It was always a childhood dream of mine.' She paused again, looking down at Wilber. She began toying with his fur, trying to hide her embarrassment. 'A nice cozy home, a great guy, and four kids. You know, a family...cause I never really had one growing up.'

For some reason, she felt comfortable sharing her past with Chuck. With him, she didn't feel the need to bottle everything up and to keep to herself. She felt another piece of her heart fall in place.

He placed a hand over hers, and squeezed it reassuringly. As she rested her head on his shoulder, she felt him stifle a yawn.

She removed her head from his shoulder. 'Sorry. I kind of just...you know...disrupted your ...never mind...' Sarah stuttered, suddenly not so eloquent anymore. 'Do you want me to – ' She used her thumb to motion in the general direction of the door.

'No, no, no.' He said. 'Stay.'

'Okay.' She returned her head to his shoulder, and he held the drawing up once more. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, admiring their masterpiece.

Chuck contemplated the stuff Sarah had just said. He was ecstatic she'd opened up so much to him, and that she felt comfortable with him.

'Wait, I am the guy, right?' He said jokingly, hoping to lighten up the mood.

Sarah looked up, and seeing the mischievousness in his eyes, she blushed madly and punched him lightly on the shoulder.

'Hmm...I'll take that as a yes.' He chuckled.

Their sudden movements caused Wilber to wake up. Lifting his head off Sarah's lap, he gave them a great, big yawn. He shifted slightly in her lap and then laid his head down once more and begun sleeping again.

Sarah leaned down and kissed the top of Wilber's head. 'Our little baby.'

* * *

**TWO DAYS LATER**

'What's for dinner?' Sarah asked, walking out of the shower, drying her hair with a towel. After she was satisfied with how dry her hair was, she threw the towel into the laundry basket placed outside the bathroom, ready for a load tonight.

As she entered the kitchen, she saw that Chuck had laid out various ingredients on the counter top, and was concentrating on slicing a 8" baguette through the middle.

'I'm making your favourite. Chicken Pepperoni.'

'My favourite?' She questioned, eyebrows burrowing in confusion, clearly having no idea what Chuck meant.

'Yeah.' Chuck replied, keeping his concentration on the knife, trying not to slice his hand off.

'Oh, okay.' She paused. 'How can I help?'

'You want to do the mayo after I finish slicing the bread?'

'Sure.' She picked up the bottle of mayonnaise off the counter and waited for Chuck to finish with the first baguette.

'Done.' He passed the baguette over to her. 'Here.'

Placing the baguette on the counter, she held the bottle of mayo in her right hand, unsure of what she was supposed to do. She didn't want to do it wrong. But not wanting to disrupt Chuck whilst he was cutting for fear of him cutting himself, she waited patiently for him to finish. She stared at the baguette in front of her, willing herself to remember how do it.

Chuck finally got to the end of the second baguette. When he looked over, he saw Sarah holding the mayo bottle in one hand, with a confused look on her face.

He moved over and enveloped her from behind, placing his right hand over her right hand - the hand that was holding the bottle of mayo. Using his left hand, he grabbed her left hand and moved it to hold the bread in place.

'Okay.' He said. 'This is how you do it.' He guided her hand over the bread. 'Squeeze the bottle slowly.' He instructed.

As she did, he continued guiding her hand over the top half of the baguette. He made a 'S' shape, followed by an 'a', 'r', 'a' then an 'h'. He then moved her hand over the bottom half of the baguette, and spelt out his own name.

'Ta da.' He said, smiling. 'Baguettes the Chuck and Sarah-ified way.'

She giggled. 'Really? Is this how we used to do it?'

'Yup.' He pulled the second baguette over. 'Now for the second one. Wanna do this one yourself while I cook the chicken?'

'Umm...sure.' She said.

He let go of her hands and went about preparing the rest of the ingredients needed to assemble the meal.

It took Sarah a couple of minutes to finish putting mayonnaise on the second baguette. After that, she waited patiently for Chuck to finish cooking the chicken.

Once he'd scooped out the last piece of chicken from the broth, she snuck up behind him and covered his eyes with her hands.

'Sarah?' He questioned.

'Come.' She kept her hands over his eyes whilst leading him over to where the second baguette was. She removed her hands from his eyes slowly. Chuck looked around in bewilderment, his eyes slowly adjusting to the light. Finally, as his eyes focused, he saw the baguette in front of him.

Sarah leaned back against the counter, watching Chuck's face closely for his reaction. 'Chuck, I...heart...u?' Chuck read out with question in his voice. He clearly hadn't understood it. Staring at the words written in mayonnaise, his slowly begun to understand the message. 'Chuck, I love you.' He read out correctly this time, his mouth breaking out into a large smile.

Sarah, seeing Chuck's smile, broke out into a smile herself. He took a step towards her, and pulled her into his arms. After a while, he pulled back so he could look at her face. 'Sarah.' He breathed. 'I love you too.'

They stared into each other's eyes as their faces slowly inched closer and closer to each other's. When their faces were about an inch apart, Chuck closed his eyes, but Sarah panicked. She pulled back and rested her head on his chest instead.

Feeling pressure on his chest rather than his lip, his eyes snapped open. His heart dropped a little when he saw her head rested on his chest. Nevertheless, he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a peck on her head.

'Sorry.' She mumbled, as she wrapped her arms around his torso.

'It's okay.' He said comfortingly. 'We'll take it slow.'

* * *

**TWO WEEKS LATER**

'I'll race you to the end of this path to the ice cream stand.' Sarah challenged. 'Loser has to do 10 push-ups.'

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon – there was a slight breeze caused by the overnight rain so it wasn't too hot, but the sun shone brightly so it wasn't too cold. They'd taken Wilber to the park to play fetch. After about an hour of continuous fetching, Wilber decided he needed a rest, and sat himself down next to Chuck and Sarah beneath the shade of a large oak tree.

Sarah, on the other hand, was getting antsy. She wasn't the type of person who could sit still for hours on end. She was also hungry. And so, eying the small path that led down to an ice cream kiosk, she challenged Chuck to a race.

Chuck stood up, brushed off his pants and put Wilber's ball down on the grass next to him.

'Bet's on.' He quipped.

They walked over to where the path began, and lined up where the grass ended. Without notice, Sarah began to count down. 'Three, Two, One. GO!'

Sarah sprinted off. Chuck chased after her, but no matter how hard he tried to push himself, he couldn't overtake her.

By the time they got to the end of the path, Chuck was about 2-3 meters behind Sarah.

Sarah laughed and pointed to the grass next to the path. '10 push-ups.'

'Hey, it's not fair.' Chuck said jovially. 'You counted.'

'Wanna race again?' Sarah asked, tilting her head, giving him a small smile. 'This time you count.'

Chuck nodded. 'Okay.' How could anyone resist such a smile?

And so they lined up again, this time using the edge of the shadow of the ice cream cart.

'Ready?' Chuck questioned.

Sarah nodded.

'Three, two, one and three quarters, one and one quarter...' He paused for a moment, trying to trick Sarah. 'and one and GO!' He hollered.

Once again, Sarah sprinted off, clearly taking the lead. Chuck lagged further behind this time from the added fatigue of the previous race.

As he rounded in to their original starting point, Sarah was already there, holding Wilber in her arms. She laughed at him once more, this time with Wilber joining in, barking along to her laugh.

'Look at Daddy, Wilber.'

Wilber barked, then wagged his tail violently, demanding to be let down. Sarah let him down, and he ran to Chuck as Chuck came to a stop.

'Hi–hi W-wilber.' He said through his panting. As he bent over to recover, he gave the puppy a pat on the head. 'Oh I am so out of shape.'

Sarah handed him a bottle of water. 'Good thing I decided to bring some water today.'

'Thanks.'

'Now 10 push-ups.' Sarah said, smiling, pointing to the grass once again. 'And for losing twice, you get to do it with the added weight of me sitting on you.'

'What? That's not fair!'

'Oh it is, mister.' She chuckled.

Reluctantly, Chuck got down and set himself up in a push-up position. As he readied himself for the first push-up, Sarah sat down on him.

'Hi-oh.' He exclaimed, having to use more arm strength to support the extra weight. He slowly began to lower his body to the floor.

Sarah began counting as he began the push-ups. 'One...Two...Three...you're doing great! Four...Five...'

Upon the 10th push-up, Chuck collapsed onto the grass, as did Sarah, landing half sprawled out on top of him.

Their faces were a mere inch or so apart from each other. Sarah could feel Chuck's breath blowing gently on her face, sending a chill up her spine. Chuck lost himself in Sarah's baby blue eyes, not sure what his next move should be. Neither person moved for a while.

Suddenly, Chuck could not resist himself anymore and, bringing a hand up to Sarah's face, he pressed his lips onto hers, breaking the tension. She ran a hand through his hair, and leaned in closer.

They rolled over, with Chuck ending up slightly on top, and Sarah laying on the grass. She willingly granted him access and as their tongues danced, sparks exploded. It was a simple yet profound kiss – the first since her return, but certainly not the last.

As they broke for air, they found Wilber trying to wedge himself between them. Sarah fell back onto the grass, with Chuck hovering over her.

'Hey Wilber.' Sarah cooed. 'Wanna join?' She pulled Wilber close, lifted him up and gave him a kiss on the nose.

Then, putting Wilber back down and turning her attention back onto Chuck, she prepared herself to deliver the speech she'd rehearsed for him ever so intently the past few days. She was nervous as ever, and she felt as if she wasn't ready, but she pulled herself together to do it.

'Chuck - ' She cleared her throat, and made eye contact with him.

'Yeah.' He said, with one hand absentmindedly stroking Wilber's fur, the other around Sarah waist.

She sat up a little, using her elbow to support her weight, and took a deep breath before she began.

'Chuck, you're a gift. You're a gift I never dreamed I could want, or need, and everyday I will show you that you're a gift that I deserve. You make me the best person I could ever hope to be, and I want to spend, and learn, and love the rest of my life with you.' She paused to compose herself so she could finish it off. 'And I want to thank you. I want to thank you for fixing me; for putting me back together and for sticking by me and not giving up on me when there were so many times you could have.'

This struck Chuck by surprise. He was shocked, -'it took him a few seconds to get to grips with what had just happened. But once he did, he broke out in a teary smile.

Sarah watched as his eyes lit up ever so delightfully, in a way she'd never seen before. It was like they'd regained some sort of spark that had been lost when she lost her memories.

'Sarah...you remember?' He questioned, his voice breaking slightly with joyous emotion. He took his hand off Wilber and laid it gently on her cheek and slowly began caressing it.

Sarah smiled proudly. 'Yes...well yes and no.' She paused to think of a way to put it. 'Yes I remember our wedding, and yes I remember various other things, like the way you used to cover my feet in bed to stop them from getting cold, or the way we used to run together in the mornings, and...well...there are too many to list.' She gave him a smile, as she continued rambling on. 'But I don't think it's everything...you know? There are bound to be so many other memories I have yet to recall -'

He leaned down and pressed his lips onto hers once more. After they both ran out of breath, they rested their foreheads against one another.

Wilber, who had settled himself between them, decided he had had enough rest, and wanted to play once more. Wagging his tail, he picked up his tennis ball and placed it by Chuck and Sarah.

Momentarily taking his forehead off Sarah's, he took the tennis ball and threw it for Wilber. Wilber brought the ball back in no time, and dropping it on the grass, snuggled in with Chuck and Sarah. They both laughed at him.

Chuck then turned his attention back to Sarah, who had the hugest smile on her face. 'There's somewhere I want to take you.'

* * *

**A/N: Soo how was it? Please drop me a review (: It really helps me improve, and it also makes my day :P**

**Yuppas. I've been focusing so much on this story I haven't really had a chance to work on 'Chuck vs the Dads'. But I promise I have been thinking about it, and I will try to get cracking with the next chapter :P**

**Soo one more chapter :) Stay tuned!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys (: Sorry for the long wait, but here is the final chapter of 'Stitch by Stitch'. **

**Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck, and any mistakes are mine.**

* * *

**There and back, there's no doubt, your touch makes me whole again**

**And I'll give you all my pieces broken**

**In your hands there's nothing that you can't fix**

**My heart is frayed, my scars are open**

**So put me back together now, stitch by stitch**

**Put me back together now, stitch by stitch**

'Where are you taking me Chuck?' Holding a sleepy Wilber in her lap, she looked at Chuck with curiosity in her eyes. She had repeated that phrase almost a million times in the past 10 minutes. Chuck was driving, but he refused to tell her where they were going, wanting it to be a surprise.

'You'll see.' Chuck replied.

'Noooo.' Sarah whined childishly. 'I wanna know.'

Wilber let out an low whine, complaining at the fact that they were disrupting his late evening nap.

'See, Wilber wants to know too.' Sarah quipped. Her curiosity simply could not be quelled. She'd exhausted all information extraction techniques she knew that were road safe. If only I could seduce him. She thought to herself.

'I love you both, but my lips are sealed.' He smiled proudly at his ability to withstand her attempts to make him give up his secret.

'Fine.' She said as she turned to look out the window.

However, as Chuck pulled up to their designated destination, she let out an audible gasp as her eyes widened in shock. 'Our dream house.' She breathed under her breath.

She was so concentrated on the house that she didn't even notice that Chuck had gotten out of the car and was holding out his hand for her to help her out of the car.

'Come on.' He smiled. 'I'll show you around.'

She took his hand, and he led her inside, with Wilber at their heels.

When they reached the front porch, he handed a set of keys to her. 'Here.'

She took the keys in her hands, and fumbled with them for a while, trying to find the right key. Upon locating the correct one with Chuck's help, she slid it in the lock, unlocking the door. She slowly eased the door open and found balloons littered all over the floor of the otherwise barren house.

Hesitantly, she took a step into the house. Chuck trailed behind her.

'HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SARAH!' Ellie, Devon, Clara, Morgan, Emma and Molly all jumped out from different places.

Sarah's face went a shade of rosy red. Her hands immediately went to her mouth, as she let out another gasp.

Chuck took a step forward towards her, and placed his arm around her hip.

Embarrassed at the amount of attention she was getting, she buried her face in Chuck's chest and laughed.

'How did you know?' She asked, looking up at him.

He leaned down and planted a kiss on her lips. 'I am your husband, remember?' He chuckled, and she giggled in response.

Giving her another quick kiss, he led her over to where everyone else had gathered. 'Come on. Let's say hi to everyone.'

* * *

After greeting everyone, Chuck decided to take Sarah on a tour of the house whilst Ellie and Emma prepared dinner.

As he led her up the stairs, she caught sight of her and Chuck's name engraved on the doorframe of the kitchen.

It was then that she realised she'd been there before. She went pale, knowing that this was the place she'd beaten him up in, and the place she'd attempted to shoot him. She'd had countless sleepless nights thinking about the events that had transpired that night. That night was never mentioned of again in their conversations, but she knew she'd hurt him pretty badly.

'Sarah?' Chuck called from the top of the stairs.

'Coming.' She replied.

Upon reaching the top of the staircase, Chuck grabbed her hand and led her down one end of the hallway. There were two large rooms, each one having its own bathroom.

Standing outside the two rooms, Chuck smiled. 'These can be for the kids...whenever they decide to come along.'

She laughed at his comment, trying to mask her worry. However, he could hear the faint hint of nervousness in her voice.

'What's the matter? You don't like it? I mean, we can change - '

'No.' She cut in. 'I love it.' She paused, turning to face him and grabbing both if his hands. 'It's just...I've been thinking of the events that happened on the night we were last in this house.' She felt her voice crack slightly. 'I know I hurt you pretty badly that night...I just want to let you know that I'm really, really sorry.'

'Baby, it's okay.'

She closed her eyes and leaned into him, letting him wrap his arms around her. 'Please forgive me.' She whispered.

'I already have.' He whispered and gave her a kiss on her forehead. 'Don't worry Sarah. No matter what you do to me, you're not getting rid of me.' He chuckled. 'I'm sorry, but you're stuck with me for the rest of your life.'

'And you're stuck with me too.' She replied.

A big grin broke out on his face. 'I love you.'

'I love you more.' She quipped, giving him a peck on his lips, then wiggled out of his arms and ran down the hallway to the master bedroom. 'Aren't you going to show me our room?'

* * *

Sarah stepped out onto the balcony of their room. 'Chuck.' She exclaimed. 'It's beautiful.'

Looking over past the trees in the woods behind the house, she could see the ocean. The sun had just begun to set - the sky had turned a majestic hue of orange and pink.

'Surprise.' Chuck said as he walked up behind her, sliding his arms around her and wrapping them around her torso. 'I chose this house not only because it matched your description of your dream house, but because of its proximity to the beach.' He pointed to the beach. 'You see that little pavilion there?' He asked.

She nodded.

'Between that pavilion and ocean, well...that's our spot.'

She grinned. _Boy, was he not the most wonderful man alive, she thought to herself._

They stood wrapped in each other's arms and watched as the last inkling of the sun's beams disappear off the horizon.

Then, Ellie called them down for dinner.

* * *

After dinner, cake and a bit of hanging around, Chuck and Sarah said goodbye to their guests.

'Bye El.' Chuck said as he pulled his sister in for a hug. 'Thanks for flying in to me out with this surprise.'

'No problem.' She said. 'You're my little brother. Of course I'll help.'

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys to his and Sarah's apartment. 'Here. Stay at our place tonight.' He handed the keys to her.

'Thanks.' Ellie said, then pulled Sarah in for a hug.

'Happy Birthday, little sis.'

'Thanks.' Sarah replied.

'I'm glad you're back.' Ellie said as she released Sarah. 'Me too.' Sarah said.

Suddenly, they then heard Clara wailing for her mom from the rental car. 'Well, that's my cue.' Ellie said as she stepped down the steps and headed towards the car. 'Bye.'

'Bye.' Chuck and Sarah waved.

As the car disappeared out of view, they re-entered the house and shut the door behind them.

Wilber rushed towards them and barked in excitement. Chuck picked him up. 'Hey buddy. What do you want?'

Sarah stroked the top of his head. 'I think he wants to go out.'

'How 'bout we take a walk on the beach?' Chuck suggested. 'The is a path out the back that leads down to the beach.'

'Okay.' Sarah said, and Wilber barked in approval as well.

* * *

Hand in hand, made their way down to the beach, with Wilber following them at their heels.

When they reached the end of the pathway, they removed their shoes and left them on the edge of the path.

They made their way down to the edge of the water, where they could feel the waves lapping against their bare feet. As they looked out to the ocean, they could see moonbeams glistening on the surface of the water.

Wilber ran ahead of them, playing in the water and sand as he went along.

It didn't take long for Chuck and Sarah to reach their spot. After laying a blanket out, they sat down and leaned up against each other.

They continued watching Wilber have the time of his life playing in the waves. When the waves rolled out, he followed the waves out. When they rolled in, he enjoyed the feeling of being swept in. They could hear him barking with excitement.

Sarah chucked. 'He's such a beach dog.'

'That he is.' Chuck responded.

Sarah shifted her position so she was now leaning up against Chuck. She felt him shifting slightly as well, and before she knew it, he saw him holding out a small wrapped present before her. 'Happy Birthday Sarah.'

After handing the present off to her, he wrapped his arms around her. Slowly and carefully, she removed ribbon, then wrapping paper, revealing a small red box.

She wondered if it was her wedding ring. Upon her return, she's left the ring next to their wedding photo. But when she went to retrieve it a couple of days ago, wanting to place it back on her finger (the place where rightfully it belonged), she realised it was no longer there. She suspected that Chuck may have taken it, but she didn't ask because she wasn't sure. If he hadn't taken it, she didn't know what she would say to him.

She undid the latch on the box and lifted the lid open. To her disappointment, it wasn't her wedding ring. But it was a beautiful silver heart locket. 'It's...it's beautiful.' She stuttered.

'Open it.' He said.

Upon opening it, she found the engraving 'Sarah + Chuck' on one side, and a picture of them and Wilber on the other.

She twisted around to face him and smiled. 'I love it.' She said as she handed the necklace to Chuck. 'Can you put it on for me?'

He took the necklace and clasped it on for her. 'There.' He smiled.

'Thanks.' She said, as she stared at the red box still in her hand.

Chuck caught her staring at the box and chuckled. 'I know what you're wondering.' Sarah adverted her glance from the box. He reached into his pocket and retrieved a small object from it. 'You're wondering where your ring is.' He held her ring up with two fingers, and it glistened brightly under the moonlight.

'So you're the ring theft.' Sarah said in a joking manner.

'That's me.' Chuck said, playing along. He got up into a kneeling position facing Sarah, took her left hand in his and carefully slipped the ring onto her ring finger. As he did so, the final stitch fell into place. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

She giggled, then pounced on him and glued her lips to his, knocking him over off the blanket and onto the sand. They laid in the sand, with their tongues moving rhythmically and completely in sync with each other.

After a while, they were interrupted by the feeling of something wet being sprinkled on them. Breaking the kiss, they looked around and saw Wilber shaking out the water from his wet fur. Sarah grabbed the blanket they had laid out on the sand and bundled Wilber up in it to prevent him from catching a cold. The tired puppy claimed his spot between Chuck and Sarah, and within minutes, he was asleep.

* * *

Chuck and Sarah lay in the sand with arms and legs intertwined, and with Wilber snuggled in his favourite spot between them.

Bring a hand up to Sarah's face, he gently ran his finger up and down her cheek, tracing her jawline. She gave him a bright smile. He smiled in response. 'Welcome home, Sarah. I love you.'

The important thing wasn't whether she remembered everything from the past or not, but rather the new memories they were making together. This ordeal, though originally intended to tear them apart, had on the contrary strengthened their relationship and brought them one step closer to their dreams. Chuck and Sarah: the inseparable duo - together, there is nothing they can't fix.

**Put me back together now, stitch by stitch**

* * *

**A/N: So there it is. (: Hope you enjoyed. **

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favourited and followed this story (: I really appreciate your support!**

**Right now, I'm thinking of finishing 'Chuck vs the Dads', and then maybe writing a sequel combining both the stories? I'm not sure at the moment...I'll have to see where I am when I finish that story :P So yupp. Anddd..****have a couple of other stories brewing up in my mind...soo...stay tuned (:**

**PS. Don't forget to leave a review on the way out (: They really make my day :P**


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